Sheffield United Already Suffering Midfield Injury Crisis As Selles Reflects on First Pre-season; Blades Also Close to New Signing | OneFootball

Sheffield United kicked off their pre-season campaign in emphatic fashion with a commanding 6-2 victory over York City, giving fans their first glimpse of Ruben Selles’ new-look side, and the early signs were promising.

From the first whistle, the Blades set the tempo with intensity and pressing with a purpose. The opening exchanges saw Louie Marsh go close from a free-kick, only for the York goalkeeper to deny him with a smart save low to his right. From the resulting corner, Femi Seriki’s near-post header smacked against the post, but the early pressure soon paid off.

Just minutes later, Sheffield United took the lead through captain Anel Ahmedhodzic, who nodded home the opener. The visitors doubled their advantage soon after when Marsh turned provider, sliding in Andre Brooks who timed his run to perfection and slotted coolly into the far corner.

The third goal came from Tom Cannon, operating from the left flank, as he got in behind the defence and showed great composure to square the ball across goal for Tyrese Campbell to tap in from close range.

At half-time, Selles named a completely different second XI, but the momentum continued. Within minutes of the restart, Ryan Oné announced himself with a thumping left-footed strike from a tight angle to make it 4-0.

York did claw a goal back when former Sheffield Wednesday midfielder Alex Hunt curled a sublime free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards. The home side reduced the deficit further on 69 minutes when Ryan Fallowfield bundled in from a corner, raising some faint hopes of a comeback.

However, Sheffield United quickly extinguished those hopes. A pinpoint cross from Harrison Burrows on the left found Kieffer Moore, who steered a header in via the inside of the post to make it 5-2.

The final goal of the evening, and arguably the goal that will epitomise Selles’ Blades the most, came courtesy of another sharp piece of pressing. Ehije Success Ukaki won the ball high up the pitch, showing his pace and strength, and then teed up Ryan Oné on the edge of the box to bag his brace.

Sheffield United New Boss Reflects on First Pre-season Game

Ryan Oné was the star of the show as Sheffield United beat York City 6-2 in pre-season, with Oné scoring twice. (Image Credit: Sheffield United Football Club).

After the match, new boss Ruben Selles was full of praise for his side’s energy and attitude:

“I think today we came here with the ambition to win the game and compete and start to build our tempo. Two different teams in the halves. Competitive; a lot of different moments. We played an opponent that tried to play football and I think it was a good test for us.”

Selles was particularly pleased with the intensity his team showed:

“The application from the boys has been excellent. Obviously we just want to build what we want to be. We want to be intense and that was there from the very beginning and we train like that, [because we want to] play like that. Today we showed we want to be intense. Some spaces we need to defend better, but some good moments that we can take now and build from.”

Ruben Selles Already Has Midfield Depth Issues

SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 29: Tom Davies of Sheffield United celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sheffield United FC and Sunderland AFC at Bramall Lane on November 29, 2024 in Sheffield, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

On the injury front, Selles confirmed that midfielders Jamie Shackleton and Tom Davies will both be out for 4-6 weeks due to back-related issues, with Shackleton also suffering a hamstring injury, and Davies having a calf issue. Sydie Peck, meanwhile, is expected to return to action at the weekend after recovering from an ankle problem.

Sheffield United Close to Reuniting Selles With Sharpshooting Winger

As for the transfer window, Selles hinted that more signings could arrive soon: “There has been progress. The market is fluid, but we expect in the next seven days to have someone in. The squad is really good; we don’t need to go massive, just a couple of positions to support what we have.”

Meanwhile, reports have since emerged that the Blades are closing in on signing Aston Villa prospect Louie Barry on loan, as per Sky Sports reporter Lyall Thomas. Barry was on loan at Stockport County for the first part of last season, netting 15 times in 23 appearances in League One. He was then recalled by Villa in January before joining Hull City on loan under Selles, but he only played four games before suffering a knee injury which ruled him out for the season.

If the 22-year-old can recapture his form pre-injury, then the Blades could have a big threat on their hands. Barry’s favoured position is a left-winger, where he can make darting diagonal runs in behind the defence to latch onto through balls. He’s also capable of coming short, and then driving inside before unleashing long shots on his right-foot. In addition, he is very much an active presser of the ball, which is another indication that he is well-suited for Selles’ style of play.